Restoring Purpose: How Smart Technology Can Bring Joy to Nursing
Nurses train for hands-on patient engagement. Yet the reality of modern healthcare often pulls them away from their core purpose. The American Nurses Association cites staff shortages, staff-to-patient ratios, long hours, and unpredictable schedules as contributors to burnout and job dissatisfaction.
“Smart technology is a powerful tool and can take on more of the non-clinical responsibilities of patient care,” explains Jennifer Taylor, MSN, RN, Clinical Solutions Director at Vibe Health by eVideon. “This gives nurses the freedom to practice at the top of their license and focus on hands-on patient care.”
When technology effectively takes on administrative tasks, it creates space for nurses to focus on direct patient interaction and care planning. A 2023 study in Nurse Leader on the mix of human- and machine-based work found that “even with just several minutes a day free, nurses can reclaim time… resulting in improved job satisfaction and lower turnover.”
“Nurses wear a thousand hats,” explains Chelsey Kamla, MSN, RN, Clinical Solutions Director with Vibe Health by eVideon. “Any time savings is helpful. Automating manual tasks – like updating whiteboards, adding safety information to door signs, prompting educational videos, or ordering meals – gives us more time with patients.”
These are a few ways well-designed technology can help restore joy and purpose to nursing practice:
- Process Automation
Smart solutions that reduce redundant data entry and streamline required documentation free nurses to redirect their attention to patient needs. Digital whiteboards, for example, display real-time, accurate information to patients and their care teams. This eliminates the need for nurses to manually update dry erase boards.
- Modernized Communication
Promoting open communication with patients and their families encourages active participation in their own care plans. Digital tools, such as digital door signs, replace handwritten paper signs maintained by nursing staff, and save nurses time in manual updates. Instead, digital signage automatically conveys information, from dietary restrictions to infection prevention notices, giving patients and their caregivers real-time, accurate information they can use and understand.
- Patient Education
Interactive TV solutions allow patients to watch tailored educational videos at their own pace. This lets the nursing staff reinforce key concepts and answer questions, which better enables patients to care for themselves when they leave the hospital.
- Safety and Well-being
Safety for patients and nursing staff is non-negotiable. Hospital environments can be chaotic and unpredictable. But the use of technology to support safety initiatives contributes significantly to nursing job satisfaction. For instance, digital door signs that alert staff to potential safety concerns before entering a patient room give them the knowledge they need to prepare properly.
When these solutions are appropriately integrated into clinical workflow, nurses find a sense of reconnection with their original purpose. They can engage in meaningful conversations with patients and apply their clinical judgment to complex situations. Thoughtfully designed and implemented technology elevates the role of nurses and honors not just what nurses do, but who they are. Supporting nurses with modern, integrated solutions is how we value their time and talent.
For more information on our Vibe Health smart room platform, or to contact a member of our nursing team, contact us at hello@evideon.com.
